Here's where YOU fit into the equation — take part in the Monkey for Matty fundraiser. A mere $22 will get a deserving child something warm and fuzzy to hug.

You can't give $22? No problem — any amount will help.

We just learned of the fundraiser and it ends today. So GO. DONATE. NOW.

• • • •

The first line of T.S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land" is "April is the cruelest month."

Eliot, the dingbat, is unequivocally wrong. DECEMBER is the cruelest month as brings to an end our sweet, beloved high school football season.

Sadness becomes us.

The finals are this weekend, and while we'll bask in the warming glow of the best each division has to offer, we'll feel melancholy knowing that the season ends Saturday afternoon. Maybe. One never knows when the weather might force the manly Chris Everone and his band of field crew commandos to prepare West Haven's Strong Stadium with little advance warning.

The melancholy is worse given that the finals have been broken up due to this weekend's alleged SNOWMAGEDDON. We write "alleged" because weather forecasting is legalized gambling without money being exchanged (and so we think).

WORSE, the networks have turned weather forecasting into this generation's version of "air raid drills," terrifying the populace into hording bread, artichokes and SPAM at the local store so that they can continue monitoring the weather from the safety of their homemade bunker under the coffee table (covered in a blanket, of course).

Where were we? Oh, yeah — the Class L final between Darien and New Canaan was moved from New Britain's Arute Field on Saturday afternoon to Stamford's Boyle Stadium that morning.

Those of you who have better things to do with your life than monitor the Twitter or message boards are aware that Darien and New Canaan had fans email the CIAC on Monday to ask them to move the Class L final from Arute to Boyle because the latter was closer.

We assume that Darien and New Canaan also asked the CIAC to move the Class S final (Ansonia and Woodland) to Naugatuck. And the Class M final (Brookfield vs. St. Joseph) to Bunnell.

Hey — if you want the CIAC to make things convenient for you, then do it for everybody.

Meanwhile, those who live in Litchfield, New London, Tolland and Windham Counties snicker because they have to travel more than the other counties to attend neutral site games.

Some of you may not have noticed that Connecticut is the second-smallest state in the Union. Nothing is more than two hours away. Suck it up and drive. This ain't Texas.

Furthermore, holding state finals at one site is about bringing everyone together, to see the best-of-the-best and what other parts of the state have to offer. It's about inclusion, not exclusion. Saturday's ticket at Arute gets you two games (three had SNOWMAGEDDON not screwed everything up).

Alas, the choice Saturday is to either go to Boyle to see the most anticipated game, or to Arute for an intriguing game (Fairfield Prep vs. Southington) and a potential blowout (Class M).

The season will end sometime around 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Sadness.

We'll miss Arkeel Newsome and Ansonia's offensive line make 12-yard runs as simple as texting.

OUTLOOK: This will be brief. Ansonia beat Woodland over three weeks ago, 48-7, in the NVL title game. Many of the players participated in last year's two meetings. The Chargers won both. They've outgained the Hawks, 1,415-726 in their last three games. The status of Woodland running backs Colby Vaccarelli (knee) and McAllen (concussion) has yet to be determined. Vaccarelli also starts at defensive back. Newsome needs just 156 more yards to break his state record for most rushing yards in a season (3,763). He may have that by halftime.

OUTLOOK: All credit to Brookfield for starting so many (young) noobs this season and getting to the state final. It gets SUPEREXTRACREDIT for running GOD'S OFFENSE and running it so well. It faces a different beast here, though. St. Joseph is the bigger and stronger team. Vazzano throws a beautiful ball. Basir, who suffered a stinger early in last Saturday's semifinal win over Barlow (62-34), plans on playing. That makes the Cadets passing game even more dangerous (and Vazzano makes Basir more dangerous). We're sure the Bobcats will get their points. St. Joseph has scored 207 in its last three games. That's as many or more than 43 teams scored during the entire regular season.

OUTLOOK: YOUR second championship game rerun — Darien done stunned the then top-ranked Rams, 28-24, with a last-minute touchdown on Thanksgrabbing. Wyper vexed New Canaan's defense as ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 269 yards. About all Darien did wrong that day was turn it over three times (one which the Rams returned for a TD). New Canaan did further damage to itself by racking up 110 yards in penalty yardage, including a late hit on Wyper on fourth down to extend the Blue Wave's game-winning drive. The Rams need to run MUCH better than they did the first time as the Blue Wave stuffed them (New Canaan averaged just 2.59 yards). The Rams averaged 5.6 in their two playoff wins. New Canaan passing game was erractic the first time around, too (12 of 30 for 239 yards with a TD and INT). Those of you who enjoy defense will love Evanchick, Harris and Root. It's tough to pick against a Lou Marinelli-coached team, especially after Darien outplayed his team once.

OUTLOOK: The weekend's other curious game. Southington was one of only two teams to beat Glastonbury (16-9). The other — Prep (33-23). Southington splattered Norwich Free Academy (52-14) and Ridgefield (45-0). The Jesuits have been as hot as any team in the state and have beaten Xavier (46-27), Glastonbury and West Haven (29-20, and 29-28) in their last four games. The matchup that interests us most in Prep's offense vs. the Blue Knights' defense. Smith has made a helluva debut this season. He and Crowle (6-foot-3, 246 pounds) are a pain for opposing defenses to contain. Then factor in that the Jesuits' offensive line look like ubermensches. The Blue Knights don't have that bulk (who does) and will counter with their speed. You can bet that the Prep o-line has been famliarized with the two-headed terror known as Zak Jamele and Maxwell. There's nothing scientific or schematic about it, but when in doubt, pick the SCC team (except when playing the FCIAC this season).

A WINNER IS YOU: Fairfield Prep.

• • • •

CONFERENCE SCORECARD:

NVL (two teams, two finalists): 4-0.

FCIAC (four teams, three finalists): 7-1.

SCC (four teams, one finalist): 4-3 (including a SCC-on-SCC scrum).

SWC (four teams, one finalist): 3-3 (including a SWC-on-SWC battle).

Pequot (four teams): 1-4.

CCC (eight teams, one finalist): 5-7.

CSC (three teams): 0-3.

ECC (three teams): 0-3.

• • • •

Should you be keeping score at home, here's how the Top 10 in The Day of New London Top 10 state coaches' poll have fared during the first two rounds of states: